20.

1. Nov the Blessed One having remained at Râgagaha as long as he thought fit, proceeded on his way to Sâvatthi. And wandering straight on from place to place he arrived at Sâvatthi. And there, at Sâvatthi, the Blessed One stayed at the Getavana, Anâtha-pindika's Grove.

Now at that time the venerable Sâriputta suffered from fever. And the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna went to the place where the venerable Sâriputta was; and when he had come there he said to the venerable Sâriputta:

You have lately had fever, friend Sâriputta. By what means has it got well?'

'By lotus stalks, my friend, of various kinds.'

Then the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna, as quickly as a strong man would stretch forth his arm, or draw it in again when it had been stretched forth, vanished from the Getavana and appeared on the bank of the Mandâkinî lake.

[paragraph continues] Moggallâna coming from afar: and on seeing him he said to the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna:

'May my lord, the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna, approach. Welcome to my lord, the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna. What may my lord have need of? What shall I give to him?'

'I want the edible stalks of the various lotuses.'

Then that Nâga gave command to another Nâga, saying, 'Very well then, good friend, give the venerable one edible stalks of the lotuses.'

And that Nâga plunged into the Mandâkinî lake, and plucked with his trunk edible stalks of the lotuses, and washed them thoroughly, and bound them in a bundle, and went to the place where the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna was.

3. Then the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna as quickly (&c., as in § 1) vanished from the bank of the Mandâkinî lake, and appeared in Getavana. Then that Nâga also vanished from the bank of the Mandâkinî lake, and appeared in the Getavana. And when that Nâga had caused the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna to receive those edible stalks of the lotuses he vanished from the Getavana, and appeared on the shore of the Mandâkinî lake.

Then the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna presented those edible stalks of the lotuses to the venerable Sâriputta. And the fever abated on the venerable Sâriputta when he had eaten the edible stalks of the lotuses. And many of them remained over.

4. Now at that time, during the scarcity (&c., as above, in chap. 18. 4, down to:) did not accept the invitation.

'Accept it, O Bhikkhus, and eat. I allow a Bhikkhu who has eaten, and has refused food still